Where My Demons Hide
by hollygolightly3
Summary: The interrogation room was dark. One dim light hung above the table, illuminating it. A woman sat at the table. She looked toward the one-way mirror in front of her and frowned at her reflection. Her black hair was long and curled, and her green eyes seemed to thrive in the darkness of the room beneath her long lashes. She certainly didn't look dangerous...
1. Chapter 1

The bullpen was silent. Everyone had gone home except for the team. McGee sat behind his desk, staring at a blank screen, and Bishop sat cross-legged on the floor beside McGee's desk. She shuffled the papers on the floor in front of her, re-analyzing the case files. McGee checked his cell phone for the fifth time. No calls, no texts.

"I'm sure they're fine, McGee," said Bishop, distractedly.

"They should have been back by now. She's dangerous, Bishop. Who knows what could have happened?" said McGee with wide eyes.

"She's not dangerous, McGee. Her file said she was emotionally unstable not dangerous."

"Same thing."

The elevator dinged, and McGee stood to get a better look at who it was.

Tony entered the bullpen, looking battered. His right eye was red and swollen.

"Tony, where's Gibbs?" asked McGee, anxiously.

"He's fine, McWorrywart. He's bringing her up now," said Tony.

"Alone? I thought she was emotionally unstable?" asked McGee.

"She wanted to be alone with him. And she was pretty unstable before we caught her. It took a while, but she calmed down in the car," said Tony, he touched his eye and flinched.

"What happened to your eye?" asked Bishop.

"She hit me."

"_She_ did that?" laughed McGee.

"Well, it was dark in the warehouse and she came out of nowhere..."

The elevator dinged, and Gibbs entered the bullpen pulling a handcuffed woman with dark hair along with him.

"Dinozzo!" barked Gibbs. "Take her to interrogation."

Tony grabbed the woman's arm and escorted her to interrogation. Gibbs waited until they were gone before he spoke. "McGee, I need you to look up Operation Escargots."

"Snails, Boss?" McGee asked, confused.

"Do it, McGee."

Gibbs had a small scratch on his face that stretched from his cheekbone to his lips.

"What happened to your face?" Bishop asked.

Gibbs ignored her question, not wanting to discuss it, and headed to interrogation.

* * *

The interrogation room was dark. One dim light hung above the table, illuminating it. A woman sat at the table. She looked toward the one-way mirror in front of her and frowned at her reflection. Her black hair was long and curled, and her green eyes seemed to thrive in the darkness of the room beneath her long lashes. She wore white dress slacks, and a black long sleeve button-up shirt. She had manicured nails, and wore pearls around her neck. She showed no signs of recently being in a brawl except for her busted lip which was still bleeding. She certainly didn't look emotionally unstable.

The door opened, and Gibbs strode in carrying a file, and a box of tissues. He set the tissues, and the folder on the table, and sat down.

"The tissues are for your lip," Gibbs said, quietly.

"Thanks." The woman grabbed a tissue and began to dab the blood away from her lip. Once the blood was gone, she laid the tissue on the table. Gibbs picked up the tissue, and put it into a clear evidence bag without breaking eye contact.

"DNA," explained Gibbs.

The woman laughed. "I should have known."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Elizabeth Marshall-"

"What's your _real_ name?" Gibbs interrupted. "Not your alias." The woman smiled.

"Dawson Montgomery. But you should already know that. Didn't you look up Operation Escargots like I asked you to?" asked the woman.

"My people are working on it."

"No!" hissed Dawson. "I only want one pair of eyes to see that file, Gibbs. Only one."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

"Just because."

"Why? Gibbs repeated. The woman sighed.

"Because there are things in that file about my past that I want kept quiet. Surely you can understand that? We all have our secrets."

Gibbs looked at her for a moment. He did understand. He understood wanting to keep your past quiet more than anyone. He pulled out his phone, and called McGee.

"Hello?"

"McGee, have you found anything on Operation Snails, yet?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing came up, but the system says there's a file in annex titled 'Operation Escargots'. I was just about to go check it out," explained McGee.

"Don't bother. Send me the information, and I'll go get it."

Gibbs hung up the phone and looked at Dawson for a minute. He could see the sincerity in her eyes. She really wanted that file to be kept secret.

"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, Dawson. Don't abuse that," ordered Gibbs, as he stood to leave.

"Wait!" called Dawson just as Gibbs reached the door, he turned to look at her. "Can you promise that you won't let anyone else see the file?"

Gibbs left interrogation without responding.


	2. Chapter 2

Dawson Montgomery sat very still. She was still in interrogation where Gibbs had left her. He had been gone for an hour, and she was beginning to think that he wasn't coming back. She could tell she was being watched. Someone was watching her through the one-way mirror, she could feel it. She jumped when the door finally opened, and Gibbs re-entered the room. He sat down without saying a word.

"This is everything we have on Operation Escargots," Gibbs said. He tossed a file onto the table, Dawson grabbed it. She flipped through the file, grimacing.

"This isn't right. You did this."

"I did what?" Gibbs asked, suspiciously.

"This isn't right," Dawson repeated. She emptied the file onto the table, several blank pieces of paper slid across its smooth surface. "These shouldn't be blank."

"And you think I did it?"

"Well, someone did it! There should be so much on these papers. So much information. Where did it all go?" Dawson asked, helplessly.

"I don't know," Gibbs replied.

"I want my phone call."

Gibbs removed his cell phone from his pocket, and handed it to Dawson. "It had better be an important phone call because its your only one. Put it on speaker."

Dawson dialed the phone and pressed it to her ear.

"This is Elizabeth Marshall. Put me through to the director," Dawson barked into the phone.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. You aren't authorized to contact the director."

"Run my name through the database. You'll see that I _am_ authorized to contact him."

There was a pause. Gibbs watched Dawson carefully. She was panicking.

"I'll put you through to the director right away, ma'am. Sorry for the trouble."

There was another pause.

"Elizabeth?" asked a voice. "What's happening?"

"Director, I've been picked up by NCIS. There's been some confusion about my identity."

"Let me speak to the man in charge, Daws-Elizabeth."

"He's right here, Director. You're on speaker," said Dawson.

"The woman you've apprehended is Special Agent Dawson Montgomery. Due to a particularly dangerous op last year, she has been going by the alias Elizabeth Marshall. It is in the best interest of NCIS to release her immediately. With whom am I speaking?" the director asked.

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, sir."

"Gibbs, I've heard all about you. This has been a big misunderstanding."

"With all due respect, sir, my team has been working on this case day and night for the past three days. I want full jurisdiction on this," Gibbs said, confidently.

"I'm afraid that can't happen, Gibbs. Montgomery's been on this case for much longer than three days. The best I can offer you is shared jurisdiction with the FBI. Take it or leave it."

"Thank you, sir," Gibbs said, reluctantly.

"Dawson?" the director asked.

"Yes, Director?"

"The immediate threat to your life has been eliminated. Your alias is no longer necessary. Return to the bureau for a full de-briefing."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

Dawson hung up the phone and smiled at Gibbs tauntingly.

"Looks like we're partners now. Don't worry, I won't hold this against you," she said, pointing to her busted lip.

"Report to NCIS first thing in the morning. Be prepared to tell us everything you know." Gibbs stood, and opened the door. "I'll escort you out of the building."

* * *

Once Dawson Montgomery was in a cab and on her way home, Gibbs returned to the bullpen to find his team waiting patiently.

"What happened, Boss?" DiNozzo asked from his desk.

"She's FBI. Had to let her go."

"What?" exclaimed Tony. "You just let her go?"

"She'll be back first thing tomorrow, DiNozzo." Gibbs sat down behind his desk to finish up some paperwork before he headed home for the night.

"Aren't you worried she's a flight risk?" Bishop asked. She was still sitting on the floor, munching on some chips.

"No. If she runs, I'll find her."

"Boss, she wasn't exactly easy to find the first time around," said McGee.

"That's because her name isn't Elizabeth Marshall. Its Dawson Montgomery. _Special Agent_ Dawson Montgomery," Gibbs said. "Elizabeth Marshall is an alias."

"Wait, I'm confused-" Tony began.

"Well, don't be. She's going to explain everything tomorrow morning."

"I don't like this, Boss," said McGee, quietly.

"Yeah, me neither. Now go home. All of you."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, McGee was the first one in. He sat down at his desk, and sipped his coffee, anxious to start the day. He smiled when Abby trotted into the bullpen.

"Morning Abs."

"Good Morning, McGee. Is Gibbs here yet?" Abby asked. Her pigtails curtained her face, and her dark lipstick brought out the lightness of her skin.

"He's in with Director Vance."

Abby sat down behind Gibbs desk, and spun around in his chair twice.

"Tell me about _her_, McGee. What happened? Did you catch her?" Abby asked, excitedly.

"Well, apparently she put up a fight when Gibbs and Tony cornered her in a warehouse. She punched Tony in the eye, and cut Gibbs' face!" McGee whispered, quickly.

"What? She hurt Gibbs' and Tony? I already hate her. Did she confess to killing Derick Thompson?" Abby said, angrily.

"According to Gibbs, she didn't do it."

"No way, McGee! Facial recognition matched her to the woman we saw on the tapes from the security cameras outside of Thompson's apartment building! She left the apartment building _five minutes_ after Thompson's time of death!" exclaimed Abby.

"Gibbs collected a sample of her DNA last night after you left. It should be in your lab now, have you processed it yet?" McGee asked.

"What kind of sample is it?"

"Blood from her busted lip," answered McGee.

"Who busted her lip?" Abby asked.

"Gibbs. There was a struggle before she was caught."

"Good Gibbs," murmured Abby with a smile. "It'll be done in about an hour, McGee. Where is she now? Is she in holding?"

"No, Gibbs let her leave last night."

"What?!" exclaimed Abby. "Why would Gibbs let her leave?"

Gibbs entered the bullpen with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Because she's FBI, Abs," Gibbs answered. "Have you processed that DNA yet?"

"What? FBI? McGee, why didn't you tell me she was FBI?" said Abby, angrily.

"I was going to, Abby. But you wouldn't let me get a word in!" McGee said, defensively.

"Abs! The DNA?" Gibbs was getting impatient.

"I'm on it, Gibbs!" Abby left the bullpen, after flashing a glare at McGee.

Gibbs sat down behind his desk.

"Where's DiNozzo and Bishop?" he asked.

"Tony just texted me, Boss. He's on his way up now. And knowing Bishop, she probably stopped for breakfast on her way in. Boss? Is Agent Montgomery coming in today?" McGee asked, sheepishly.

"Yep."

"What time?"

"Nine."

"Boss, it's nine thirty. You don't think she ran do you?" McGee asked.

"She'll be here, McGee. Start monitoring her phone calls, and bank statements. I want to know everyone she's spoken to in the last month."

"On it, Boss."

The elevator dinged and Tony entered the bullpen accompanied by Bishop. She held a frosted doughnut in her hand.

"Is Montgomery here yet?" Tony asked.

"Nope. She's late," answered Gibbs. "And so are _you_."

"Sorry, Boss. Traffic was terrible." Tony sat down behind his desk, he cast a nervous glance at McGee before continuing. "Boss, did Montgomery call to say she'd be late?"

"Nope."

"Well, then how do we know she didn't run?" asked Tony.

"Tony, the chances of her running are very slim. She's well known at the FBI, which makes running near impossible," said Bishop as she removed her bag and sat down.

"She didn't run," said Gibbs, quietly.

"But how do you know, Boss?" Tony asked.

"Because she's here," said Gibbs, pointing to the elevator. Special Agent Dawson Montgomery was stepping off the elevator and making her way to the bull pen. Her lip was no longer bleeding, but swollen. She wore black slacks and red button up blouse. Her long black curls were twisted into a neat bun on the top of her head. She wore the same pearls as she had the day before.

"Good Morning," Dawson said as she entered the bullpen. McGee and DiNozzo looked at her in awe, they hadn't been expecting her to show up.

"Good Morning," answered Bishop with a smile. She had been confident all along that Dawson wouldn't run.

"There's a spare desk over there," grunted Gibbs without looking up. He pointed to the always empty desk beside McGee's.

Dawson made her way over to the desk, and put down her purse. Then she stood in front of Gibbs' desk, awaiting orders.

"Well, what are we doing?" she asked.

"_You're_ explaining how you're involved with this case," answered Gibbs.

"Okay. Well," Dawson turned to face the rest of the team. "I'd like to see your evidence before I say anything."

"DiNozzo, show her the tape," ordered Gibbs. Tony pressed a button on the clicker, and a black and white video began to play on the plasma.

"This is security camera footage of you leaving the victim's apartment building five minutes after his time of death," explained Tony. "Why were you there?"

"Derick Thompson was my informant. I arrived at his apartment for a debriefing, only to find that he was dead. I didn't kill him, I was the one who placed the anonymous 911 call."

"Who was he informing on?" Bishop asked.

"James Winters. I've been trying to bust him for six months now," answered Dawson.

"Why is it taking you so long?" asked McGee. "Six months is a long time."

"He knows me from an op I did last year, so I've been having trouble getting close to him."

"What was the op?" Gibbs asked, intrigued.

"Operation Escargots."

"It's time you tell us about this Operation Snails," ordered Gibbs.

"It doesn't have anything to do with this case."

"Why are you so reluctant to talk about it?" asked Gibbs.

"Because it ended badly. And it's personal."

"Rule #10," said Gibbs.

"What's rule #10?" Dawson asked.

"Never get personally involved on a case," answered Tony.

"And whose rule is that?"

"Mine," answered Gibbs.

"Right. I'll be sure to remember that. I was planning on following up on a lead today, so I'll be going now." Dawson grabbed her purse and was headed for the elevator when Gibbs stopped her.

"Stop!" he ordered. "We work as a team here. Me and DiNozzo are coming too."

Before Dawson could object, Tony had grabbed his gear and was ready to go. Gibbs leaned over McGee's desk and whispered.

"Find me something on Operation Snails, McGee. I don't care how, just do it," he whispered, not wanting Dawson to hear.

The three of them stepped into the elevator, equally nervous about this partnership, but none willing to admit it.

* * *

The car was silent with Gibbs behind the wheel, Dawson in the passenger seat, and DiNozzo in the back.

"Are you gonna tell me where I'm going?" Gibbs asked.

"We're going to the warehouse from yesterday."

"Why?" asked Tony. "We searched it yesterday after we caught you. There's nothing there."

"Did you search every warehouse on the block?"

"No."

"Before the two of you attacked me yesterday, I was on my way to a different warehouse. But when I noticed you were tailing me, I dashed into the nearest one. I never got the chance to check into it. I tried to do it last night, but it was padlocked."

"Did you try to pick the lock?" Tony asked.

"I couldn't do it. So I called in a favor from a friend." Dawson pulled a small silver key out of her pocket and smiled.

"A locksmith friend?"

"Yes. I have reason to believe that James Winters has been operating out of this warehouse. I just hope all the commotion yesterday didn't scare him off," explained Dawson.

"Well, do you have a warrant to search the warehouse?" asked Tony.

"It's pending."

"I'll take that as a no. So what exactly has James Winters been doing that's so wrong? It must be pretty bad if you've been trying to get him for six months straight," said Tony.

"He was involved in the slave trade last year. I took out his Boss, and now he's taking over the business."

"And?" Tony asked.

"That's it," answered Dawson.

"There's more to it than that," murmured Gibbs.

The car rolled to a stop on a deserted road. There were tall buildings to the right, and four large warehouses to the left. Dawson was the first one out of the car. She approached the warehouse door with Tony and Gibbs on her heels, weapons drawn. She quietly slipped the key into the lock, and unlocked the door. It creaked open.

Gibbs entered the warehouse first, ordering Dawson to go behind him, much to her dismay. The warehouse was disorganized. Several large wooden crates sat every few feet, making it impossible to see across the entire room. They began to maneuver their way through the rows of crates, with Gibbs leading the way. He picked up the pace when he heard a quiet whimpering coming from the center of the room. Finally, the whimpering sounded as though it was nearby. Gibbs peaked around a crate, signalling for the others to stay back.

A woman sat on the floor in the center of the room. She was blindfolded, and her arms were tied behind her back. She was the one whimpering. A man was pacing back and forth in front of the woman. He wore all black. His dark brown hair was cut short, and he needed a shave.

Dawson slipped to Gibbs' side and inhaled sharply when she saw the man.

"That's him," she whispered.

Gibbs raised his hand and held up a finger. One finger, two fingers, three fingers.

"Federal Agents!" he shouted as he whirled around the crate. "Put your hands in the air!"

The woman shrieked, and James Winters froze. He slowly raised his hands as Gibbs, Dawson, and DiNozzo stepped forward, guns aimed right at him. When Winters' eyes landed on Dawson, he smiled.

"Montgomery!" exclaimed Winters. "I haven't seen you in almost a year! How have you been? I heard you went crazy."

"Shut up, Winters."

"I'm genuinely concerned," said Winters, as he slowly lowered his hands. "We have a history together."

Winters looked behind him, he smiled at Dawson once more, and then he darted toward the back of the warehouse. Gibbs and Dawson took off after him.

"DiNozzo! Stay with the girl!" shouted Gibbs as he pursued Winters.

Dawson heard the backdoor of the warehouse slam, she headed in that direction. Gibbs was somewhere behind her. Her only focus was catching Winters. She sprinted out the door, and saw Winters climbing up the fire escape. She continued to pursue him. A light rain had began to fall, making the fire escape slick. Dawson almost lost her footing several times. When she reached the roof of the warehouse, she saw that Winters was already halfway across. She charged after him, getting closer and closer with each step. Before she could reach him, Winters jumped off the roof of the warehouse, disappearing over the edge.

Dawson tried to slow down as she approached the edge. The slickness of the roof caused her to lose her balance and slip over the edge. She closed her eyes and prepared for the terrorizing two story drop. She dreaded the pain she would feel after falling two stories and hitting the pavement. Would she survive?

Dawson never felt the impact. Instead, she felt a terribly sharp pain in her arm. She opened her eyes to see the ground still two stories beneath her. She looked up and saw that Agent Gibbs was lying on his stomach on the edge of the roof, holding on to her arm. A harsh wind blew past her dangling body, and she shut her eyes in fear. Her arm was throbbing, she knew it was injured somehow. She heard the sound of a car driving away, as Gibbs began to pull her back up onto the roof. He pulled her by her injured arm, and she wanted to cry out but she didn't. Finally, Gibbs heaved her onto the roof with her eyes still clenched shut. She stayed very still, and tried to steady her breathing. Once she was calm, she opened her eyes.

Gibbs was pinned beneath her. He glared at her until she got up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

Dawson shakily stood. She held her left arm close to her body, wincing from the pain.

"No. He got away." It was a statement not a question. "How did he survive the drop?" she asked.

"There just so happened to be a black van parked in the alley. He landed on the roof of the van, and then got in. I got a possible I.D. on the getaway driver." Gibbs was panting. If it hadn't been for him, Dawson would probably be nothing more than a blood stain on the pavement.

"Uh... Gibbs... Thanks for... you know... saving me and all."

He grunted in response. "Lets get back to the Navy Yard."


	4. Chapter 4

Dawson stood in the elevator. Her arm was aching. When she held it tightly against her torso, it didn't hurt as much. The elevator doors opened, and Dawson stepped through the sliding doors into autopsy. The room was bright, and the Doctor was leaning over a corpse, whispering.

"Dr. Mallard?" Dawson said. The doctor looked up. "My name is Dawson Montgomery."

"Ahhh, Hello. Jethro told me you were coming. Tell me what happened to your arm," said Ducky, politely. He removed his gloves and gestured for her to have a seat on the nearest empty autopsy table.

"Well," Dawson said as she climbed onto the table, with her legs dangling over the edge, "Gibbs, DiNozzo and I were following up on a lead and the lead came through. I chased the suspect for the Thompson case onto a roof. It was raining, and I slipped off the edge."

"Oh my." Ducky gently examined her arm. "And you fell? How high was the drop?"

"Actually, Gibbs grabbed my hand before I could plummet to my death. He saved me."

Ducky chuckled. "Yes, Jethro has a tendency to do that."

"I didn't know his name was Jethro. It suits him."

"It's actually Leroy Jethro. I'm afraid your wrist is sprained, and your shoulder has been dislocated. He must have grabbed your arm right when you began to free fall," Ducky said with a frown.

"Dislocated? Does that mean you'll have to pop it back into place?" Dawson asked, nervously.

"Not me, I'm afraid. My arthritis if bothering me today. And my assistant Jimmy Palmer isn't coming in today. Perhaps I should call Jethro down here to do it. I need to speak with him about Derick Thompson anyway."

"Oh, that's not nec-" began Dawson, but she was interrupted when the doors to autopsy slid open.

"Perhaps you should call me to do what, Duck?" Gibbs asked as he strode into autopsy.

"Ms. Montgomery has a dislocated shoulder that needs to be popped back into place. Unfortunately, I'm unable to do it myself, and Jimmy is sick today," Ducky said apologetically.

"Sure, I'll do it. Gimme your arm, Dawson." Gibbs approached her.

"Oh you don't have to, Gibbs. It's fine, really."

"Ms. Montgomery, if your shoulder isn't fixed the pain won't subside anytime soon, and your shoulder may never be the same," said Ducky, earnestly.

"Come on, Dawson. Give me your arm," said Gibbs with a sly smile.

Dawson sighed and painfully held her arm out to Gibbs.

"You won't feel a thing," he said as he took hold of her arm.

Gibbs began to push her arm upward. Dawson clenched her eyes shut. After a few seconds, she felt a popping sensation in her shoulder and immediate relief.

"All done," said Gibbs.

Dawson opened her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, Gibbs."

"I'll get you a sling for your arm, Dawson," Ducky said. "Jethro, don't you go yet. I have something to tell you about Derick Thompson."

Ducky slipped out of the room, leaving them alone. Dawson hopped off of the autopsy table, and began to roll down the sleeve of her red button-up shirt.

"So when are you gonna tell me about Operation Snails?" Gibbs asked, breaking the silence. He watched Dawson for her reaction.

"I'm not going to."

"Wait a second. You expect me to work with someone I can't trust?" Gibbs asked, beginning to grow angry.

"Why can't you trust me?"

"You have this big secret op under your belt. An op that apparently made the FBI question your sanity, and you expect me to trust you?" he asked, incredulously.

"We all have our secrets, Gibbs. Do you tell everyone you work with your life story?" Dawson asked.

"I'll find out eventually. You can just tell me yourself, or I'll have to find out another way. It's your choice," Gibbs said, quietly.

Ducky reentered the room, and began to put the sling on Dawson's arm.

"Sorry for the wait, Jethro."

Once the sling was on, Ducky moved to the occupied autopsy table.

"Look here, Jethro. Do you see this discoloration around the gunshot wound?"

Gibbs nodded.

"He was shot postmortem. His actual cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of the head."

While Gibbs and Ducky were focused on Derick Thompson's body, Dawson slipped out of autopsy without being noticed.

"So they hit him on the head, and killed him, and they they shot him in the head to make sure the job was done?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes. That's right."

"Thanks, Duck."

Gibbs strode out of autopsy, frowning when he noticed that Dawson had sneaked out.

* * *

When Gibbs was in the elevator, and all alone, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed Fornell.

"Hello?"

"Hey Fornell, what can you tell me about Operation Escargots?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Gibbs, we're not supposed to talk about Operation Escargots. How did you even hear about it?" Fornell asked over the phone. Gibbs sighed. The elevator roared to life and began it's slow climb.

"Dawson Montgomery. We're working with her on a case."

"Oh, you're working with Montgomery? Don't believe everything you hear. She's a good agent."

"That's the thing, Tobias. I haven't heard anything. I don't know a thing about her. To be honest, I don't know if I can even trust her!" Gibbs said, angrily.

"She's trustworthy. But sometimes she tends to get too involved with a case, she's infamous for it here," explained Fornell.

"Tobias, I need you to tell me about Operation Escargots."

"It's top secret, Gibbs. It's been wiped from every computer in the Bureau. If the higher-ups had the technology, I wouldn't doubt that they'd wipe it from our minds too."

"You owe me, Fornell," Gibbs stated. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Are you alone?" Fornell asked.

Gibbs hit the _stop_ button and the elevator became still and quiet.

"Yeah. I'm alone," Gibbs said.

"Okay. At the beginning of last year, our missing persons reports shot through the roof. All women. Montgomery was in charge of our Missing Persons Department, and began to investigate each disappearance. It took her a while but she finally traced all the kidnappings to one man. Andrew Kingston. You ever heard of him?" said Fornell, quickly.

"Sure. Human trafficking, right?"

"Yep. I tried to explain to Montgomery that Kingston was a hard man to track down, let alone catch. But she was determined. She followed him all over the world. Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia. She even spent three months in Hong Kong. She almost caught him there, but he slipped off to France. That's where it happened. The final showdown."

"Get to the point, Fornell. I don't have all day."

"She tracked him down to one of his warehouses in Paris. He shot her a few times, but she still managed to take him out. She saved seven young women that day."

"Why is the case such a secret? Doesn't sound too bad to me," Gibbs said.

"Well, she used unnecessary force, Gibbs. That's why her sanity was questioned when she returned. She shot him twenty-nine times. His face was so disfigured, we had to prove his identity by his dental records and finger prints."

"The Director of the FBI told Montgomery that the immediate threat to her life had been eliminated. What was that about?" Gibbs asked.

"Kingston had a brother who dabbled in the family business. Word was, he was planning revenge on Montgomery. We arrested him the minute he landed in here in DC," Fornell explained.

"How is James Winters involved in all this?" Gibbs asked.

"Winters was Kingstons' right hand man. He took over after Kingston died. Is she after him too? Wow. When she wants something to stop, she doesn't give up, does she?" Fornell joked.

"Thanks, Tobias."

"Remember that you didn't hear it from me."

Gibbs hung up the phone, and turned the elevator back on. The doors opened, and Gibbs stepped out into the bullpen. Tony was playing a game on his computer.

"DiNozzo! Don't you have work to be doing?" Gibbs asked as he sat down behind his desk.

"Oh, Hey Boss. I gave Bishop the details you gave me on the getaway driver from the warehouse, she drew a sketch. I've already sent out the BOLO. Here's the sketch," Tony said as he approached Gibbs.

Gibbs took the sketch. "McGee, cancel the search on Operation Escargots. Did you get anything from Agent Montgomery's phone and credit card records?"

"She's made several high-dollar transfers from her account to another. I'm trying to match a name to the account number now. She also has been receiving one call a month from a blocked number," McGee said as he typed away on his computer.

"Where's Bishop?" Gibbs asked.

"She went to the vending machines to get a snack. She was having trouble finding Winters," Tony said. "Oh Boss, Abby needs you in her lab."

"And where's Agent Montgomery?"

"Um... she left about an hour ago."

"Did she say where she was going?" Gibbs asked.

"She just said something had come up."

Gibbs left the bullpen and headed for Abby's lab.


	6. Chapter 6

The music in Abby's lab was blaring. Gibbs winced as he entered the room and the noise pierced his ears. He held a fresh Kaf-Pow behind his back. Abby stood facing her computer, with her head bowed.

"Whaddya got, Abs?" Gibbs asked as he approached her. Abby didn't turn around.

"You're late, Gibbs. Really late."

"I'm spread pretty thin today, Abs," Gibbs explained. Abby whirled around.

"I forgive you. Is that a Kaf-Pow behind your back?" she asked with an excited smile.

"You gotta earn it first, Abs."

"Right." Abby turned back to the computer. "First, the blood sample you brought back from Derick Thompson's apartment was O negative. Which is good, because Derick Thompson's blood type was O negative. AFIS got a match on the fingerprints from the door handle." Abby began to quickly type, pulling something up on the computer. An image of a blonde haired man came onto the screen. "This is Rufus Austin aka: the getaway driver you saw at the warehouse. I emailed his picture to Tony, and he's already added it to the BOLO he put out earlier."

"Good work, Abs." Gibbs handed the Kaf-Pow to Abby, and she gratefully took it.

"I'm not done, Gibbs," Abby said as he began to walk away.

"Dawson Montgomery's blood sample came back. Her alias has been erased from AFIS, so her actual name came up in the system. Her blood type is A positive. Back in 1999, Dawson Montgomery was arrested in Chevy Chase for assault with a deadly weapon, but the FBI got her out of it. I just thought you'd like to know."

"Thanks, Abs."

Gibbs left Abby's lab with yet another reason not to trust Dawson Montgomery.

* * *

Gibbs strode into the bullpen, expecting results from his team.

"Is Montgomery back yet?" he asked as he sat down behind his desk.

"No, Boss. She hasn't used her phone for a few hours, but as soon as she does I'll let you know where she is," McGee said, determinedly.

"Bishop, you found James Winters yet?"

"Almost, Gibbs!" Bishop said without looking up from her spread of papers on the floor.

"DiNozzo, call Montgomery and find out where she is. McGee, trace the call," Gibbs ordered.

DiNozzo dialed Montgomery's number on his phone, and pressed it to his ear. It rang five times before she picked up.

"What is it, DiNozzo?" Montgomery asked, sounding out of breath.

"Where are you?"

"The doctors. I'm feeling ill," Montgomery explained, quickly.

"Will you be back today?" DiNozzo asked. "This is your case, you know."

"Probably not. Too sick. Bye."

Tony put the phone down slowly. His eyes were wide. McGee typed away at his computer.

"She hung up, Boss. Did you get a trace, McGee?" Tony asked, worried he was in trouble with Gibbs for not making the call last longer.

"I might still be able to get a trace. Just give me a minute," McGee said.

Bishop had ignored the entire scenario, busy with what she was working on.

"Oh no," whispered McGee. "I'm sorry, Boss. I couldn't get a trace. After she hung up on Tony, she removed her battery from her phone, making it impossible for me to track her."

"She knew we were tracing the call," Gibbs stated.

"I was able to get a relative location. She's somewhere in Chevy Chase, and she doesn't want to be found."

"That's real helpful, McGee," Tony hissed. "Why don't you go knock on every door in Chevy Chase until you find her. Good luck."

"It's your fault, Tony. Normally, you_ never_ shut up but today when it's important for you to hold a conversation, you can't!" replied McGee, angrily.

"Both of you, shut up," ordered Gibbs. "If she knew the call was being traced and hung up, then it wasn't DiNozzo's fault."

"Gibbs!" exclaimed Bishop, distracting the men from their argument. "I've got it! He's at the warehouse!"

"What?" Gibbs asked. "Why would he be at the warehouse?"

"In his mind, he's smarter than you. He thinks you wouldn't even consider returning to the warehouse. He thinks that you think he's smarter than that. There's no where else he could possibly be," Bishop exclaimed.

"Wait. I'm confused," Tony interjected.

"Grab your gear," ordered Gibbs.

"Boss, you don't really think he went back to the warehouse, do you?" McGee asked incredulously.

"I don't know, McGee. But his trail is about to turn cold, so we're going to be thorough."

* * *

Gibbs pulled up outside the warehouse. The door was wide open. The team drew their weapons and entered the warehouse. After a thorough search, they discovered that it was empty. Bishop sighed.

"I was wrong," she said.

"No, you weren't," Gibbs replied.

"He's not here, Gibbs. I was wrong."

"McGee, call Fornell and get me Dawson Montgomery's home address. Now," Gibbs ordered. "He was here. And so was Agent Montgomery."

"Do you think she's been working with him all along?" Tony asked, wide-eyed and unbelieving.

"When it comes to Dawson Montgomery, I honestly don't know."


	7. Chapter 7

The car rolled to a stop on a paved street in Chevy Chase, there were miles of trees on either side. There was only one house on the street, and it belonged to Special Agent Dawson Montgomery. It was dark, and there were no lights on in the house. The two story home's exterior was a dark brick, with white shutters and a white front door. The team approached the house, with Gibbs leading.

"Well, now we know why she was in Chevy Chase earlier today. She lives here," stated McGee, quietly.

"DiNozzo, Bishop, take the back. McGee and I will go in the front," Gibbs whispered, as he crept to the front door.

Tony, and Bishop disappeared around the back of the house. Gibbs reached for the handle, it was locked. He pulled a paper clip out of his pocket and picked the lock. The door swung open.

"McGee, check upstairs. I'll check this floor."

McGee crept up the white staircase, while Gibbs disappeared into the kitchen. It was empty. Every room on the first floor was empty, once McGee returned he confirmed that the second floor was also empty.

"No one's up there, Boss. But she has a great library-" McGee began, but Gibbs cut him off.

"McGee!" he whispered. "Stay focused."

"Sorry, Boss."

"Let's check the basement," Gibbs whispered. He crept toward the door under the staircase, and saw light flooding out from beneath it. He pressed his ear to the crack, and heard a loud _thump_.

DiNozzo, and Bishop entered the house through the back door.

"Back yard's clear, Boss," Tony whispered.

Gibbs opened the door to the basement, and light flooded the room. A shuffling sound was coming from down the stairs, but it stopped once the basement door creaked open.

"They know we're here," Bishop whispered, nervously.

"Let's go." Gibbs withdrew his weapon and slowly walked down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, the sight before him was shocking.

James Winters lay unconscious on the concrete floor, Dawson Montgomery stood behind him, blood stains covered her shirt. There were a pair of opened handcuffs on the floor beside Winters' head. Gibbs kept his gun aimed on Dawson.

"Dawson, what the hell is going on here?" Gibbs shouted.

Dawson's eyes were wide with shock, and she had several cuts on her face.

"G-Gibbs, this isn't what it looks like," Dawson said with a shaky voice.

"DiNozzo, cuff Winters and take him out to the car. Bishop, McGee go with him," Gibbs ordered, still watching Dawson.

The rest of the team left, leaving Gibbs alone with Dawson in the dimly lit room. He kept his gun trained on her.

"Are you going to arrest me, Gibbs?" Dawson asked, her green eyes wide and cautious.

Gibbs stepped closer, Dawson stepped back.

"I have to, Dawson. You took Winters on by yourself, and you brought him here. Why?" Gibbs demanded.

"That's not what happened, Gibbs. You couldn't be more wrong."

Once again, Gibbs stepped closer, and Dawson stepped back.

"Then come back to NCIS, and explain it to me."

"You haven't trusted me from the beginning," Dawson stated, slowly backing up.

"But _you_ trust _me_, don't you?" Gibbs asked.

"I trusted you when you didn't let me fall off that roof. But I don't trust you now," Dawson stated.

Gibbs moved closer, and Dawson's eyes darted to a small window on the far wall of the basement.

"Don't, Dawson. Don't run," Gibbs ordered.

Dawson turned and ran as fast as she could. She crossed the basement, and began to climb out the window. Her torso was on the outside, and she could smell the fresh air, and the freedom. She climbed as quickly as she could, but when she felt Gibbs' hands on her hips, she knew it was over. He yanked her down from the window, and they both hit the floor, hard. Gibbs was on his feet first, and Dawson didn't even bother fighting it. She looked into the barrel of his gun, with surrender in her eyes.

"You got me, Gibbs," Dawson said, as she climbed to her feet. "I'm not running anymore."

Gibbs cuffed her, and led her up the stairs and out of the house, victorious.


	8. Chapter 8

"I can't believe I'm in this damn interrogation room again," Dawson mumbled to herself. She sat at the table, with her head in her hands. She could feel the glare of someone behind the one-way mirror.

The door flew open, and banged against the wall. An angry looking Gibbs stepped over the threshold. He put both of his hands on the table, and leaned forward.

"How's your head?" he asked.

"It still hurts."

"Good. Tell me what happened after you left me and Ducky in autopsy," he ordered.

"On my way up to the squad room, I got a call from an informant. He told me that James Winters was going back to the warehouse, and that if I wanted to catch him I had to leave then. I'll admit that I should have taken back up, but I didn't. When I got there, I entered the warehouse and began to search for Winters. Before I could locate him, he hit me. I woke up in my basement, with my hands handcuffed behind my back."

"And then what?"

"Winters began to taunt me. He brought up my past, and while he was busy talking I slipped one of my wrists out of the handcuffs. With both of my hands free, I took him down. I hit him a few times, and then you came down the stairs. That's it."

"When DiNozzo called you, he said you were out of breath."

"When DiNozzo called I was still handcuffed in my basement. Winters put the phone to my ear and told me what to say," she explained.

"How do I know if that story is true? How can I possibly believe you right now?" he asked as though something in the story didn't fit.

"You haven't trusted me from the beginning, Gibbs. You're right, why should right now be any different?"

"Dammit, Montgomery!" Gibbs shouted. "Quit playing games."

"I'm not playing games, Gibbs!" she hissed. "There's no way to confirm it. You're just going to have to believe me!"

"That's not good enough!" Gibbs shouted.

"It's the truth, Gibbs! What more do you want?" Dawson shouted back, her face red from her anger.

Gibbs looked at her for a moment, with a plan forming in his head. "Get up," he said.

"Why?"

"Just do it, Dawson."

She stood.

"Come on." Gibbs led her out of the interrogation room and into the next room, where she could see the table and chair she had just been sitting at.

"BOLO came back on Winters' getaway driver. He's on his way up now. You're going to interrogate him yourself, and prove your story," Gibbs said with a glare.

Dawson thought for a moment, and then she nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."

The door to the interrogation room opened, and DiNozzo brought in a large man, with blonde hair. The blonde man sat down at the table and DiNozzo left the room, leaving him alone.

Dawson watched him through the glass for a minute.

"Go on," Gibbs said with a nudge towards the door.

She opened the door, and stepped out into the corridor. She paused for a minute and considered running again. But she saw DiNozzo standing at the end of the hall, and forced the thought from her mind. He was there to make sure she didn't run. She flashed him a taunting smile, which he returned, and stepped inside the interrogation room.

The blonde man looked at her, and then looked down. There was a folder on the table. Dawson flipped through it quickly.

"You're James Winters' brother? You look nothing alike. But I suppose it makes sense. Who else would do his dirty work for him other than his brother?" Dawson asked, mostly to herself.

"If the money's right, anyone would do it."

"Listen up," she looked down at the folder for his name, "Craig. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to answer truthfully. Got it?"

"Got it," he answered sarcastically.

"Do you just drive for your brother James? Or do you do other things?"

"Oh sure, I drive, I shoot, and I make phone calls..."

"Phone calls?" Dawson asked, curious.

"Well, I've been calling a cop and giving her fake tips. She's been giving my brother James a hard time lately, and he's been wanting to get rid of her. So I call her up, and tell her where to go. She falls for it every single time. Talk about being gullible," Craig Winters said with a scoff.

"I think her name is Special Agent Montgomery or something like that... Actually, isn't that your name? You sure do look like her," he joked.

Dawson lost her temper and slammed her fist down on the table. "_SHUT UP!_" she shouted.

There was a sharp knock on the one-way mirror. Gibbs' way of saying 'calm down'.

"So you called me yesterday and told me to go to the warehouse?" she asked with a shaky voice.

"Yep. How's your head, sweetheart?"

"Shut up," Dawson repeated. "Your little plans never seem to work, do they? Last night's plan _really_ didn't work, because I'm alive and your brother is in custody."

Craig Winters' face paled. "What?"

"Oh yeah. I guess I forgot to mention it." Dawson stood and approached Craig Winters. "He's going to spend the rest of his life in prison," Dawson crouched down so that her lips were right next to Craig Winters' ear and whispered, "and if for some reason, he doesn't go to prison for the rest of his life, I'll kill him myself and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Craig Winters began to struggle against his handcuffs, straining to get free. Dawson's words had ignited a fire of fury within him. Dawson left the room, leaving a very angry Craig Winters in the room behind her. Gibbs and DiNozzo were waiting in the corridor.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked.

"What did you whisper in his ear?" DiNozzo asked curiously.

"I asked him where he bought his cologne."

"Bull," DiNozzo scoffed.

"He wouldn't tell me," Dawson explained with a shrug.

"Wait-" Tony began.

"Let it go, DiNozzo," Gibbs grunted. "You're free to go, Special Agent Montgomery."

Dawson extended her hand, and Gibbs shook it. "It was nice working with NCIS. If we ever work together again, hopefully you won't have to arrest me in the middle of the case."

"Maybe, maybe not," Tony said with a smile.

Dawson turned and left NCIS with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - This is the last chapter, sorry it's a short one but the story is over. Thanks for reading. I'm thinking about writing a sequel to this story, so let me know if you think I should. Reviews are always welcome.**

Gibbs was working in his basement, when he heard a door slam upstairs. He could hear heels clicking against the linoleum in his kitchen. Dawson Montgomery appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing her usual work clothes, black slacks, and a navy blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair was down, and her long black curls cascaded down her back. She had a bag in her hands.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she approached Gibbs with a smile. He wiped the saw dust from his hands onto his jeans.

"DiNozzo told me where to find you," she said.

Gibbs nodded.

"I felt like we left things in a bad place today. I'm a little angry with you for arresting me, and I'm sure you're not happy with me for being so secretive. So I brought a peace offering."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows.

"DiNozzo also told me that if I wanted to get back in your good graces, I needed to bring you a bottle of bourbon. I figured that since I've never really been in your good graces, I had better bring two," she said with a laugh. She handed the bag to Gibbs, and he cleaned out two glasses.

"Want a drink?" he asked.

"Just one. I'm on my way to follow up on a lead."

He handed her a glass of bourbon, and she downed it in one drink.

"You're already working on another case?" he asked as he sipped his bourbon.

"Yep. I like to keep myself busy," she explained.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"If I'm not working, I'll have too much time to think." She set her glass down on the counter, and turned to leave. She turned around at the top of the stairs.

"I just have a question before I go," she said. "Do I have your trust now?"

Gibbs smiled. "Nope."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because I like watching you try to earn it."

Dawson laughed a small, insecure laugh and left the basement.

Gibbs listened to the sound of her heels clicking against the ground as she walked away.


End file.
